Arrogance
by Aravyth
Summary: A small guild's overconfidence will lead to their splitting apart.
1. Chapter 1

**Arrogance**

Silvery eyes scanned the large dark chamber, their glow revealing a furry white face bent close to the iced over floor. The large cat sniffed the ground and air delicately while twitching her long ears to catch any odd sounds. Relaxing, she looked behind herself at a group of shadowed figures huddled at the doorway and flicked her tail. With a mix of soft padding and harsh clunking the group moved in. An incredibly short being in dark plate armor stepped up to the elfish feline and patted her on the head with a hidden smirk. With a squeaky feminine voice it spoke, "See? I knew we would be fine without some hunter and their smelly pet. One less mouth to feed too!"

The feline snorted and smacked the gnome warrior with a paw, sending her back on her rear with a loud clang. Amidst their companions' chuckling the gnome grumbled about no respect as she rolled back onto her feet. A tall woman in resplendent silver and blue armor stepped forward and spoke softly, "All right now, let's stay focused you two. The Lich King's guards get stronger the farther we go and thanks to our… eagerness we have no back up from either the Argent Crusade, the Ebon Blade, or even another guild."

Looking suitably chastised the large cat smoothly shifted into her burlier bear form to take her place beside the shield carrying paladin. With one last grumble the gnome stepped behind them and withdrew a sword bigger than herself, ready for any possible attacks. The party moved deeper into the chamber, the robed members huddled up in the middle with a single mail wearer. A slender draenei female in golden plate and wielding a huge mace looked around uneasily as she walked at the rear of the group. She spoke up after a moment, "I do not think we should have moved ahead. Most unwise…"

A dwarf in deep reddish brown leather peered up at her and patted her hand as he spoke with a gruff voice. "Don't worry 'Moria. Ain't nothing here we can't handle."

With a small frown a robed elfish man corrected him. "As Nania said, his guards only get stronger so do not assume Farthen."

A small white haired gnome in dark robes chirped from beside the elf, "Do not invite trouble when there's none to be had! This room is completely empty. Perhaps the Lich King is gathering his minions to him thus leaving the way clear?"

A rumble near the front drew their attention then. The druid was sniffing about and flicking her ears again and her paladin partner stood alert with sword and shield at ready. The human woman spoke softly once more, "Erydani? What do-"

She stopped abruptly just after the feral druid turned her head sharply to their right. Rattles and clicks echoed through the chamber and slowly blue lights began to appear. Two of the smaller frosty glows rose up high in the air while the larger glow remained below them. A whisper then echoed through the chamber, "You dare… enter my room… interrupt my rest?"

Memith, the robed elf, muttered quietly to the gnome as he absentmindedly tightened his grip on a small glowing mace and an ancient tomb. 'Oh yes, _completely_ empty.'

The party then silently rearranged themselves, Erydani and Nania moving between their companions and the huge rattling figure moving closer. Sevarmoria, Farthen, a female night elf death knight, and the gnome warrior moved behind the two while the night elf priest, a male draenei shaman, the gnome warlock Silvari, and a male human mage stayed a distance in the back. The human paladin and the druid settled into a defensive position as the chamber slowly started to light up and reveal the horror before them. With a loud reverberating roar Sindragosa swiped at the two in front. Erydani swiftly jumped back dodging the sharp claws and Nania moved her shield, bracing herself as the claws slid along it and sent sparks flying. With quickly muttered words Memith sent holy magic at them, incasing the group's protectors in a shimmering bubble. With a word of his own the shaman surrounded Nania with a healing shield of earth magic.

With a surprisingly loud shout the gnome warrior, Fujin, ran to the back right paw and swung her sword at a joint. Dianta, the Death Knight, blew on a horn hanging at her side, followed Fujin, and aimed her two smaller axes at another joint. Sevarmoria and Fathern raced to the left back paw swinging their own holy and poison covered weapons as shadow and fire magic flew over head.

Sindragosa roared again in irritation and kicked out sending Fujin and Dianta flying back. 'Pathetic!'

Erydani let out a roar of her own and clamped down on a finger joint, cracking it and gaining the dragon's attention. Almaya ran towards the fallen melee and skidded to a halt the moment he was close enough to shower them with healing magic. As the cool waves enveloped them the warrior and death knight quickly recovered, ready to strike again.

Back in the fray, Sindragosa swiped again catching Erydani on the side this time and missing Nania completely. A flash of painful holy magic drew the undead dragon's attention away from the injured druid and Memith embraced Erydani in the warmth of the Light. Koran quickly aimed a powerful fireball at the dragon's face, shoving it just enough to save Nania from being snatched up. Sindragosa shook her head of debris after the incredible smash against the floor and rattled. 'You don't stand a chance mortals!'

Drawing a deep breath she blew out a torrent of frost and hail at the defenders and the casters. They cried out in pain, but a flood of friendly fire kept them from freezing and a chain of elemental magic quickly healed their wounds. Gritting their teeth they continued to fight and the two protectors started to slowly move to the side away from the less sturdy members of their group. As she moved to follow them Sindragosa lashed out with her tail catching the paladin and rogue. With a painful clash and thump they hit a wall, slumping down with twin groans. Another wave of magic had them back up and carefully running towards the inner front side of the paw this time. Fujin and Dianta smartly followed their example on the right paw.

As the minutes ticked on the group began to tire and Sindragosa looked barely touched with only a few cracked bones and damaged joints. The she dragon swiped once again sliding her claws along Nania's shield, but this time slashing across Erydani's face. The bear druid growled in pain and backed off as blood dripped down her face and Nania slammed her shield against the dragon's face as she came down for a bite. With a swig from a bottle previously filled with blue liquid Memith flashed with holy magic partially healing Erydani's wound. He panted then, 'W-we must retreat… I c-cant keep this up.'

Just then Sindragosa roared and sent a wave of icy breath towards the group of casters. Almaya dropped a new totem rejuvenating the group as Dianta created a dome to absorb some of the frost. The group swiftly spread out staying at her side away from face and tail while Nania stuck a cracking blow on the dragon's lower jaw. Sent into a fury Sindragosa let loose another wave of frost and swiped again right after. Erydani dodged the swipe while cringing at the feel of icy spears sliding against and into her popping the weak shimmering bubble around her. Nania was flung back when the swipe hit her and broke her shield. Dianta attempted to summon an army of ghouls and Erydani boldly charged biting and clinging to the side of the undead monstrosity's jaw.

Low on mana, both healers were forced to ignore the unconscious paladin in order to keep Erydani in shape. Desperate now, Koran created copies of himself and Almaya triggered heroism. The army of ghouls finally summon Dianta went back to frantically hacking away at bone while the army climbed all over biting and scratching. Farthen grunted as he sped up his stabbing strikes and Sevarmoria sported golden wings as she brought down her large mace.

Sindragosa seemed to only grow more in fury and slammed her head against the ground to shake off the druid. Dazed and stumbling Erydani didn't stand a chance as the next swipe caught her. With an echoing cackle Sindragosa turned towards the others. 'Fools… Your time is up.'

...

Author Notes: The main story here will focus on Erydani, an actual RP character of mine on WrA. She's been killed off and the story will veer off from what happened in game eventually. I'll readily admit I'm indulging myself with her, but the other characters will be more... lore appropriate. Fujin is the only one that will have a side story for sure since she's also an RP character of mine, but I will try to create stories for each character in the group.

I can't promise regular updates as I'm rather terrible with procrastinating and what not.


	2. Chapter 2

Koran Gale and Silvari Emberscroll

Deep within the Undercity a forsaken clothed in a simple faded green robe cursed reflexively as his hand slipped, sticking a threaded needle into his left hand. Most of his reactions were habitual he mused; he didn't feel any pain from the sharp needle. Fingers worn down to the bone plucked the needle out and scraped off the bit of rotted flesh that came with it. He continued his methodical sewing as he lost himself in thoughts of what happened a few scant months ago. His guild, the people he considered family, was pushing through Icecrown Citadel and the Lich King's pet dragon slew them all after a short, but violent battle. Koran snarled furiously at the thought of that monster and his hand slipped again. He controlled his reflex this time and focused on calming down; his project was too important to accidentally tear or set on fire. It still enraged him though, what that bastard did to his family.

Some of the people, _heroes_, he killed during that hateful time under His control joined the forsaken as well after the defeat of Arthas, but the lucky ones received eternal peace. They remembered him, but to his fortune they directed their hate onto the Lich King. Still though, at best he received a lukewarm response from them and he didn't blame them one bit. Koran brushed that tangle of thoughts away; he said his apologies, they accepted, and that was that. The mage deftly finished his work and placed it on his old mannequin. He poked and prodded it, pulled at seemingly random spots, lifted layers, and just all around inspected his work. It was a beautiful intricate robe made from various exotic, and powerful, silks dyed in deep purples, a volcanic ash grey, and a light consuming black. The dark silver thread running through the robe only enhanced the garment's wicked beauty.

Koran delved back into his thoughts as he made some minor adjustments. He had hoped all of his chosen family would join him under the Dark Lady's rule. Only one did though. Only Silvari Emberscroll, his fellow practitioner of magic though hers was of a darker nature. She enjoyed the freedom she was never granted when they were part of the Alliance. The ratty haired man grunted to himself and amended his thoughts. Two of his family were here actually, but the druid rarely graced them with her presence; instead devoting her attention to their Banshee Queen. He had his suspicions there considering the secret the night elf kept from everyone outside their family. The mage completed the final adjustments and then finally admired the product of his labor.

"That's beautiful Kor, your best work yet if I may say so."

He spun around in surprise at the smooth feminine voice and scowled half-heartedly at the grinning gnome. He glanced briefly at the succubus the much shorter undead publicly called 'Lils' as he sat in what he dubbed his sewing chair. Silvari hopped onto a stool she pushed next to him and the scantily clad demon stood silently behind her. "So, who's it for?"

The smirk she gave him said she knew exactly who it was for. He ignored her. Chuckling for a moment, she directed her attention to the topic that plagued his mind that evening. "I'm glad you're here too, you know? With Erydani following Lady Sylvanas like a lost puppy," something neither of them would ever say to feral druid's face, "it'd get lonely fast without you."

Koran hummed his agreement and put a hand on her thin shoulder for a moment. His voice was raspy and dry when he replied. "I like to think you could drag her away though, Silv."

The small warlock grinned and the two friends sat in a comfortable silence. A bit needy for attention, the dark blue themed succubus pulled Silvari from the stool and cuddled her. The silver haired gnome let out a long suffering sigh, but allowed it and Koran snickered at the pair. She gave her demons a few concessions and though most warlocks thought her insane for it, Silvari found it made them somewhat easier to deal with. That is, after she punished them for thinking she was going soft. The mage laughed louder when the image of a fully clothed Lils looking very put out popped up in his mind. Said demon scowled at him, guessing his thoughts, and turned her back to him. The forsaken gnome in her arms squawked in annoyance and Koran could only laugh louder.

It took several minutes before they all settled down, the two friends fully appreciating the rare moments of joy and laughter they got. Lils continued to sulk and cuddle Silvari though. Koran admired the robe again and spoke softly. "Yes, it's for Karine and before you ask, it's not a gift. She asked me to make it; said she wanted something that could enhance both her magicks and deadly beauty. Her words, not mine!"

Silvari nodded with a small amused smile. The woman mentioned had likely been beautiful in life, but in death she was far from it with half of her face torn off. She tapped Lils' arm to indicate 'cuddle time' was over and the demon complied reluctantly. The warlock walked slowly around the robe, this time admiring the pulse of magic that came from it, before she asked him the other question she had. "Did our favorite shadow priest ask for anything else to be made?"

Koran grunted out a yes and pulled more of the same silks onto a small table he pulled in front of him along with a spool of the dark silver thread. Everything had all ready been measured and cut, it was just a matter of sewing it together properly. "Gloves, bracers, pants, boots, belt, and a hood. Whole set. I'll likely be finished the day after tomorrow if I take breaks."

Silvari nodded absent-mindedly as she carefully felt the fabric and the magic imbued in it. Koran waited patiently for the real topic she came to him for, threading his needle and starting on the pair of gloves. It wouldn't be a happy topic he knew, she only hesitated and stalled if it was something horrible. When he heard her sigh he put down the fabric and needle, turning his full attention on his friend. Silvari was frowning and back up on her stool with the succubus close behind her. "Kor… I finally found out what happened to Nania."

Here she paused, trying to gather herself up enough to tell him. Nania was their leader, the one they all looked up too and respected the most. It took far, far too long to piece together the small amount of information she was able to find. Koran tensed and if he were still alive he would be holding his breath in anticipation. Nania was the last one of their dispersed family they needed to find. Speaking in a low halting tone, Silvari finally forced herself to speak. "She… Nania couldn't accept her fate, our fate. She couldn't, s-so she, I guess she lost it. She cut through what remained of the scourge army in the Citadel and-and she… she threw herself onto her sword."

The gnome hid her face in her hands with a shudder and Koran bowed his head, his body starting to ache. The worst thing about undeath, he thought, was the inability to weep. You could rage, scream, curse, and throw things against the wall all night long, but not a single tear could be shed. He would do those things too, if only to get rid of some of the agonizing grief he felt, but not while he was in his workshop. Instead, the two companions and even the demon remained silent for what seemed like hours. Recovering enough to return to his work, Koran wondered if he imagined the hiss he heard when Silvari revealed what happened. It seemed he didn't though when the long haired gnome broke the silence. "I think Erydani overheard, there was a hiss that sounded like her outside the door."

They didn't speak of why the druid didn't join them, of how she likely went to someone else in her own grief. Unable to focus on the gloves, fingerless as requested, he put the materials back into one of the drawers of his desk. Silvari nodded at the door and lead them out of his workshop. Perhaps a bit of training, throwing various fire based spells at the target dummies in the war quarter would help calm them. Koran didn't fight anymore, but he still knew enough to let out some of his unmanageable emotions. The other undead around didn't comment on the number of dummies that were reduced to ash, they just replaced them as needed and went on with their tasks. Another reason, he vaguely thought as he incinerated another dummy, he was glad he joined the Forsaken. They understood each other better than any living did.

* * *

Just one thing to say here. In the first chapter I noted they may all get their own stories, especially Fujin, but I've decided instead to just give them their own chapters in this one. I may put ones focused on Erydani between them or just save her for the end. I'll figure how I want that to work out later.


	3. Chapter 3

Memith and Sevarmoria

A lone duo stepped lightly on smoldering rocks and ash with a large yellow and gray spider in their sights. The spider, it's species referred to as cinderweb and easily the size of a horse, was spinning a web around it's weakly struggling prey. The web looked to be made of liquid fire and the muffled screaming attested to it's burning affect. The duo, a draenei woman in tarnished silver and blue plate armor and a male night elf in tattered blue-green robes, announced themselves with the draenei charging in. While his partner took the spider head on the night elf shifted his body into the shadows with a hiss and began whispering as he focused purely on the beast. The affect wasn't apparent until the spider spasmed with an ear-splitting shriek. Taking advantage, the draenei brought her large mace down onto it's head. With a sickening crunch and a splattering of steaming ichor the spider's screeching was cut off.

Without pause the woman strode over to the still wiggling victim and began pulling the burning webs apart, her plate gauntlets protecting her from the burning. Her partner walked up as she worked to free the spider's captive and with another hissing sound his body became fully solid once again. When they finally removed the webbing a female worgen in leather fell out with a gasp and laid on the scorched ground semi-conscious. The night elf priest rolled his shoulders and knelt next to the worgen druid who suffered from severe burns. The draenei made a sound a protest, calling his name. "Memith!"

He shook his head, gave her a sharp look, and placed his hands on the injured druid. Memith knew this would hurt him terribly, but he couldn't let the worgen suffer or possibly die. With a prayer to Elune he began to channel the Light through his hands and into the worgen's wounds. He ground his teeth as the Light seared his hands, mentally cursing his undead body and most especially the Lich King. The draenei, Sevarmoria, placed a hand on his shoulder and grimaced in empathy. Memith moved his hands along the druid's body, slowly healing her burns though her fur would have to grow back naturally.

The worgen slowly regained consciousness and slurred out her thanks when she realized she'd been saved. The priest cradled his hands against his chest and Sevarmoria stood close, gazing at him with worry. The druid meanwhile sat where she was as she gained her bearings and waited for the blurring of her sight to go away. When she deemed herself well enough she stood up and looked towards the duo to thank them again. The worgen flinched back upon finding herself staring into a pair of glowing red eyes set into an unnaturally pale face. She forced herself not to panic, to remember that they just saved her though it was hard with the draenei's own glowing night colored eyes glaring fiercely at her. It was seeing Memith holding his hands in pain that calmed her down, the realization that he injured himself to keep her away from death's grip. The druid spoke calmly and sincerely, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't 'ave reacted so."

She stepped forward then and took his hands gently into her just as large sparsely furred ones. The night elf priest looked at her with confusion and Sevarmoria raised her eyebrows in surprise, her glare vanishing. The druid furrowed her brows in concentration as a healthy green glow gradually enveloped their hands. Memith's face relaxed somewhat from it's pain induced tension; his hands still throbbed, but not as intensely or as sharply as before. The worgen woman let go of his hands and spoke with regret in her growl-like voice, "That is the best I can do with my limited skill in restoration and the least I can do to thank you."

The duo were both surprised and grateful, so few of the Alliance reacted positively towards their undead members. The priest smiled his thanks and after ensuring the druid was well enough to return to warden's post they bid her goodbye. They still had a mission to complete before they would return there. The priest and paladin of shadow trudged deeper into the Firelands encountering more of the cinderweb spiders, but no additional druids. Memith stayed in his shadow form now as it became more dangerous, wisps of various dark colors coiled around and drifted from his semi-corporal body.

Eventually they found their target, a tall fat tower of blackened rock covered in ash and webs the color of embers, not to mention the cinderweb spitters which were smaller and orange-red instead of their grounded cousin's yellow. Demonstrating how they earned their name the closest one spat out two thick streams of web, snagging them both at the same time, and dragged them up to it's ledge. They let it pull them in, ignoring the mild burning felt through their armor, and attacked it the moment their feet settled onto the smooth ledge. A swing from Sevarmoria's shadow covered mace finished it off and immediately another spitter spat at and pulled them up onto a higher ledge to the left .

The duo continued in this steady pattern, slowly moving up the tower until they at last reached the top, a large flat platform where the mother of all cinderweb spiders made her home. The ground was covered with the bones of every race that has set foot in the Firelands and layers of red hot webbing was woven between them. The mother spider's large, but proportionately beady eyes zeroed onto them swiftly and with a hiss the unbelievably giant spider pulled the shadow paladin to it, missing eating the draenei by a lance of black light breaking the strand of web just in time.

Memith dodged around it's incredibly fast and accurate shots of sticky webs, mumbling words of power that attacked it with unseen shadow magic. The mother cinderweb twitched in pain and irritation, but Sevarmoria worked to keep it's attention on her with coldly searing cracks from her heavy mace. Fangs the size of an adult human dripped with liquid fire and clicked between lunges at the shadow paladin. Sevarmoria did a dangerous dance avoiding them and the terribly long(and surprisingly hairy) legs and trying to retaliate. Still dodging the flying webs, Memith found it difficult to use his full range of shadow magic, but the moment there was a long enough rest he slammed the massive spider with invisible flashes and between those periods of rest he speared it from above with a black purple fire that burned cold.

With a grunt the armored draenei tripped over a tauren leg bone sticking up from the web flooring and landed roughly on her backside. Quickly the mother spider ceased spitting webs at Memith and used a thick leg to hold Sevarmoria down with enough pressure to sink her into the woven webs and crack bones beneath her back. The paladin gritted her teeth, clutching at the leg and blindly kicking out with her hooves. Her elf partner ran towards her and shouted out not her name, but the words for a spell yet used. Like a melting in reverse the shadow cast by the mother spider's body condensed into a misshapen horror of tentacles, fangs, and claws. The creature let out a terrible cry that caused the giant spider to recoil in agony, letting up just enough pressure for the two undead to shove it's leg aside.

Doing her best to ignore the blinding pain in her chest and back, Sevarmoria swung her mace at it's leg while it continued to stagger and following her lead Memith now aimed his icy lances of shadowfire at another leg. The foul thing he called forth attacked another one with claws and mashing fangs, somehow without stopping it's chilling cry. Swiftly immobilizing the mother spider, it made for easier and quicker work to kill it and the moment it died, the horrid creature made from it's own shadow melted back the same way it was drawn forth.

The night elf wrenched out one of it's fangs with care to bring back as proof of their deed and wrapped a chain around it to drag it with. The shadow paladin paid no notice, busy examining her crushed armor with a scowl and shifting her body around in an attempt to ease the pain. Memith looked at her with worry when he finished with the still dripping fang and spoke up. "'Moria, will you last until we reach the post? We should be able to cover a good bit of ground by gliding, but there will still be plenty left to walk."

They both studiously ignored the thought of what an attempt to heal with the Light would do as they talked. Sevarmoria replied breathlessly, "I should be fine, friend. I do not fall as easily as I did in life."

Memith nodded with a frown and gestured towards her. He motioned the same at the fang and then himself; all three were now weightless thanks to a levitation spell. The duo pushed off the still and mostly silent tower without another word and glided through the air towards the direction they had come from. Though weightless they still slowly, slowly, drifted closer to the ground until some fifteen minutes later their feet hit the scorched earth. Some cinderwebs looked out at them from behind smaller towers and rocks, but left them be considering the multitude of their siblings' corpses that littered path. However, the two remained wary and didn't relax until they finally saw the group of wardens and druids stationed in this area.

Sevarmoria eased herself into a sitting position against the black rock there and rested while the priest sought the warden who ordered the death of the mother spider. Moments later he was back with their reward. Memith then knelt beside her to remove her chest armor and assess the damage, at which point her eyes drifted shut. She distantly heard a growling voice and another one with a soft lilt; neither belonged to the night elf but as she lost consciousness she cared little about identifying them.


End file.
